When you think of dangerous jobs in America, what comes to mind? Firefighters? Police officers?

While those two jobs did earn a spot on CareerCast.com’s list of the 10 most dangerous jobs in America, you may be surprised to see that some white-collar positions — including nursing assistant and veterinarian — also made the list.

With an incident rate of more than 12 percent, nursing is the second-most physically hazardous industry in the U.S., says CareerCast. Those in the nursing field are often exposed to potentially contagious patients, which helps explain the job’s high illness incident rate.

As for vets, the risks associated with their job often go beyond the most obvious — bites or scratches from dogs and cats. Veterinarians who work with livestock and other big animals “risk serious injury,” says CareerCast.

CareerCast analyzed safety data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other organizations to compile the list.

According to CareerCast, these are the 10 most dangerous jobs in America:

Construction laborer

Correctional officer

Emergency medical technician

Farmer

Firefighter

Nursing assistant

Police officer

Taxi driver

Tractor-trailer and heavy truck driver

Veterinarian

What do you think of the most dangerous jobs list? Any surprises? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.

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